Any hopes that Gov. Rick Perry would take the high road and decline to add hot-button social issues to the special session faded quickly this week. Perry threw in proposals that would add burdensome regulations to abortion providers, even though the practice is legal and bills like this went nowhere in the regular session. Moreover, the fact that they fizzled allowed lawmakers to concentrate on the real issues confronting them and deal with them effectively.

Just because the governor did this, however, doesn't mean that lawmakers have to take the bait. They need to stay focused in the 30-day special session, which is almost half-over anyway.

They already have to deal with redistricting, never easy, and Perry also has added highway funding - a basic need that should have been addressed in the regular session.

Those issues deserve their attention, not distractions that might be nothing more than fodder for Perry's next presidential campaign.